Question Returning to Japan on tourist Visa with probably city tax/credit card debt

Hi all,

Returning to Japan on a tourist visa (visa waiver program) soon. I lived in Japan around 6-7 years ago and had to leave on short notice due to a family emergency. I am pretty sure I missed my final credit card payment, and I didn't pay city tax. Wondering if anyone's had experience returning - I imagine if I'm stopped at immigration they'll have my "my number" and just organize payment for the unpaid tax and go on my merry way?

I know I should have paid them then, but at the time I was young and not in the right state of mind. After returning to my home country I found myself unemployed and took a while to get back on my feet.

Welcome to the forum! If you enter on a tourist visa, I assume immigration will not stop you because of outstanding taxes or unpaid CC payments, though they might remind you. Once you apply for a work or spousal visa, delinquent taxes will catch up with you. However, you should contact the city hall at your former place of residence as well as the credit card company and settle your debts.

If I were you, I'd contact the nearest Japanese embassy or consulate before embarking on the trip to be on the safe side.

This, I think, is a question that many people have, but few have come back to comment on what actually happens. Would love to hear from you once you make the trip to Japan. Many people assume that the system either doesn't track them once they leave - but that feels slightly naive to me. It may have been true 30 years ago, but in the digital age it seems unlikely.